Medical Reserve Corps April 2021 Newsletter
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) was founded by the federal government shortly after 9/11. The national system brings together people who have skills related to health care as well as citizen volunteers. They serve as a team during times of emergency or need in their own community. MRC units are trained and prepared to respond to emergencies and they provide education, outreach and various health services throughout the year. They function as part of their local emergency preparedness teams. MRC units supplement existing emergency and public health resources and agencies such as Red Cross, local public health, fire, police, and ambulance services. The result is a collaborative effort that is prepared for large scale public health crises. Each MRC conducts its role in the way that best suits the unique challenges for its area. In addition members can also choose to support communities in need in another area of the state or country, as many did during hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The Medical Reserve Corps program office is headquartered in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) / U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It functions as a clearinghouse for information and best practices to help communities establish, implement and maintain MRC units across the nation. The MRC Program Office sponsors an annual leadership conference, hosts a Web site, and coordinates with local, state, regional and national organizations and agencies to help communities achieve their local visions for public health and emergency preparedness. For more information about the MRC program, please visit the national website at https://mrc.hhs.gov/HomePage. Volunteers who wish to deploy as Federal volunteers can find out more info by clicking on the menu choice called MRC Deployment.
The Monmouth County Health Department is currently looking for additional volunteers for our response team. In order to build a medical/administrative support team in the case of a large response, a variety of backgrounds are needed. The health department is looking for nurses, physicians, physician assistants, crisis counselors, and translators. General volunteers for support services are also needed. Volunteers must be 18 years old, live or work in Monmouth County, and be a U.S. Citizen.
MRC Application Website
Below is a list of local County and State guidelines for training classes volunteers are encouraged to take prior to deployment.
Local Training Recommended Before Deployment (within Monmouth County):
| MRC Orientation |
| ICS 100 and NIMS 700 |
| Personal/Family Disaster Planning or IS 909 |
| Psychological First Aid for MRC or another disaster mental health course |
|
Orientation to Public Health
Shelter Fundamentals |
State Training Required Before Deployment (out of County)
| ICS 100 (Incident Command System) |
| ICS 200 |
| NIMS 700 (National Incident Management Structure) |
| Intro to National Response Plan |
| First Aid |
| CPR/AED |
| CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives) Awareness |
| Personal Safety |
| Disaster Awareness |
| Disaster Mental Health Course |
| PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) |
| POD Operations (Point of Distribution) |
